Sacramento Kings: Should the team extend Buddy Hield now or wait it out?

Sacramento Kings shooting guard Buddy Hield has made it clear that he wants to sign an extension now. But should the team sign him now or wait it out?

The Sacramento Kings find themselves in a very tricky situation just prior to the start of the 2019-20 season. Do they extend rising star shooting guard Buddy Hield ahead of the October 21st deadline or do they wait it out?

The question seems so simple on paper, but in reality, it is a convoluted mess full of loopholes, what-ifs, and exceptions. But this is the complicated NBA financial system we’re talking about here so of course it is.

This is what we know. The deadline to extend Hield prior to the season is October 21st, just eight days away at the time of writing. If the two sides fail to come to an agreement, Hield will officially be a restricted free agent this summer.

Those are the facts. But how exactly should Sacramento handle the situation? It seems simple, really.

Hield is one of the premier shooters in the NBA today and is a key part of the Kings’ young core. His presence allows speedy point guard De’Aaron Fox and promising young big man Marvin Bagley to play to the best of their abilities.

Without a truly dominant threat from long-range, Fox and Bagley would see more double teams and be limited by help defense when slashing to the basket. Hield is that threat and he is an integral part of this Sacramento Kings’ team.

That said, this potential extension at least allows the team to discuss what his true value is. And that’s the question at the end of the day.

How valuable is a 26-year-old sharpshooter who averaged 20.7 points per game while shooting 42.7% from three-point range last season? How valuable is a young dead-eye shooter entering his prime who’s set to be one of the bigger names in a weak upcoming free-agent class?

That answer is yet to be determined.

Most wouldn’t insist that Hield is worth a full max contract — which for a rookie-scale extension is worth somewhere around five-years, $170 million. And fortunately, Jason Jones of The Athletic has reported that Hield is willing to sign for slightly less than the max.

That could put his value somewhere around four-years, $110 million which would give him an average yearly salary of $27.5 million. For reference sake, that’s around what Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum will be making this season.

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Is Hield worth that kind of money? It doesn’t really matter, because that’s what he’ll be making at a minimum.

If the Kings don’t sign Hield now, they could opt to wait until next summer when Hield hits the semi-open market. Sacramento could then match any offer from another team or even sign him then depending on how the Oklahoma product performs this season.

However, that’s a risky proposition.

For starters, they run the risk of having to pay substantially more money if Hield plays just as well this season. In a weak free-agent class, it’s very easy to see another team giving Hield the max leaving Sacramento a decision of whether to match or not.

Moreover, they risk alienating their star shooting guard ahead of a crucial season for the team. Hield has made it clear that he wants an extension done now and has sounded frustrated when speaking about the issue.

"“As a player, you want to have that trust that the franchise has your back and we’re just waiting for them to make a move and come to an agreement. They’re talking, but nothing is moving yet. Nothing has moved. I’m ready to make things happen, man. I want to make Sacramento my home. I’m ready to get this s— done. I want to be here and if it doesn’t happen, then things can go the other way.”"

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Waiting makes the most sense, but it also might be the most impractical. While it is usually smart to wait and see how things play out as opposed to jumping to any rash decisions, it remains a very risky option in this instance.

So then extending Hield now seems like the best option, right? Again, it’s not that simple.

The Kings just signed Harrison Barnes to a pretty substantial four-year, $85 million contract in the offseason and will be handing out extensions to both De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley in the near future, if all goes according to plan.

The team must make have those future extensions in mind when discussing Hield’s. It’s a very difficult situation to be put in, but it’s a decision that Sacramento must make in the coming days.

Perhaps it would be best to simply pay him the money now as opposed to the riskier, perhaps more rewarding option which appears to be waiting. However, there will likely be people upset with either option the team decides to go with.

But maybe it’s best to allow a portion of the fanbase to be upset, as opposed to their young sharpshooter.